In January, the Friends visited the Freer Gallery's storage vault for an up-close viewing of Chinese lacquer and textiles. The tour was led by Daisy Wang, Chinese art specialist.

Upcoming Friends Events

For more information about or to RSVP to any of the Friends events listed here, please contact Jane Kestner, membership manager, at 202.633.0417 or KestnerJ@si.edu.

Friends events

Freer, Whistler, and Japan: A New Understanding of Old Friendships
A Tour of Kyoto and Tokyo with the Freer|Sackler Friends
October 26–November 2, 2014
Price: $12,000 (per person) + airfare (includes a tax-deductible donation of $2,500)

Exclusive opportunities await you in Tokyo and Kyoto! Join Director Julian Raby; James Ulak, senior curator of Japanese art; and Lee Glazer, curator of American art, on an exclusive tour exploring Japan as the inspiration both for James McNeill Whistler’s art and Charles Lang Freer’s collecting. This short trip will be packed with new experiences for an intimate group of up to ten people.

Get an early look at Japan’s first exhibition of art by Whistler in 27 years at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. Selected works from An American in London: Whistler and the Thames, on view at the Freer|Sackler to August 17, 2014, will join this major retrospective. Explore Kyoto’s temples, including Kennin-ji, the city’s oldest Zen temple. Take in breathtaking views of Tokyo at the Mori Art Museum, the city’s highest museum, while enjoying innovative exhibitions of work by emerging and established artists. We hope you’ll join us as we embrace Japan’s art and traditions—with a subtheme of "inspired by the West"—on this exciting journey.

A brochure with complete itinerary and reservation information is available upon request. For more information, please contact Jane Kestner, membership manager, at 202.633.0417 or KestnerJ@si.edu.

The Friends Council

The Friends Council, the museums' only fundraising advisory board, welcomes your interest and support. Please call Jane Kestner, membership manager, at 202.633.0417 to learn more about the advisory board and how you can participate.

Please note: The Freer Gallery of Art will be closed to the public from January 2016 until summer 2017. The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Library, and Archives will remain open for the duration of the renovation. Learn more »